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NATO Component Commands

Last modified: 2023-06-10 by zachary harden
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[Flag of NATO] by Željko Heimer


See also:


Overview

NATO military commands and some other organization also have flags. Almost all commands have their own flags (or banners), which have a great importance in all military units, and they have a special role during ceremonies held in occasions of changes of commanders. It is a subject of hand-over ceremony when former commander gives the flag into new commander's hand. It is a formal moment of transfer of his authority to new one.

All commands and other organizations has a badge or crest, generally it is placed on a monocoloured (blue, white, or green) flag as a command's flag. The official NATO military structure is a good base to introduce flags of various military commands, organizations and NATO-led military missions.

More information on NATO structure: http://www.nato.int/cps/en/natolive/structure.htm

Zoltan Horvath, 11 February 2010


Allied Land Component Command - Heidelberg

[Allied Land Component Command - Heidelberg] by Zoltan Horvath, 16 February 2010

Allied Land Component Command is a multinational NATO Headquarters located in Heidelberg, Germany. It is a subordinate component command of Joint Force Command Brunssum.

Flag of CC-Land Heidelberg is white with its crest in the center.

History and symbolic meaning of its crest:
http://www.nato.int/lahd/issues/crest.htm

Images of flag (cover page):
http://www.nato.int/lahd/the_observer/2008-winter.pdf

Home page:
http://www.nato.int/lahd/

Zoltan Horvath, 16 February 2010


Allied Air Component Command - Ramstein

[Allied Air Component Command - Ramstein] by Zoltan Horvath, 16 February 2010

Allied Air Component Command Ramstein is a successor of Allied Air Forces Central Europe (AAFCE) which was originally established on June 28, 1974 at Ramstein Air Base, as a principal subordinate command under Allied Forces Central Europe (AFCENT). On 1 July 2004, the former HQ AIRNORTH was renamed Component Command-Air Headquarters Ramstein, Germany. It is a subordinate component command of Joint Force Command Brunssum.

Flag of CC-Air Ramstein is medium blue with its crest in the center.

History and symbolic meaning of its crest:
http://www.airramstein.nato.int/mission.htm

Images of flag (behind the leaders and visitors):
http://www.airramstein.nato.int/visitors/visitors_07.htm

Home page:
http://www.airramstein.nato.int/

Zoltan Horvath, 16 February 2010


Allied Maritime Component Command - Northwood

[Allied Maritime Component Command - Northwood] by Zoltan Horvath, 21 June 2010

Allied Maritime Command Headquarters is based at Northwood in the United Kingdom and provides specialist Maritime expertise to the Joint Force Commander in Brunssum, the Netherlands.
Its flag is blue with its crest in the center of the flag. Image of flag can be seen here.

This command has three subordinate maritime groups. Standing NATO Maritime Group 1 and 2 (SNMG1 and SNMG2) are multinational, integrated maritime forces - made up of vessels from various allied nations, training and operating together as a single teams - that are permanently available to NATO to perform a wide range of tasks, from participating in exercises to crisis response and real world operational missions. The Standing NATO Mine Countermeasures Group 1 (SNMCMG1) is one of NATO`s two specialist Mine Countermeasures (MCM) Groups. It is a permanently established, multinational, sea going force of MCM vessels, on task continuously, to give NATO the ability to respond to a wide range of missions almost anywhere in the world. All three groups have own badges, but currently I haven't information about their specific flags, they use the standard NATO flags.

Zoltan Horvath, 21 June 2010


Allied Land Component Command - Madrid

[Allied Land Component Command - Madrid] by Zoltan Horvath, 11 February 2010

This command originally was Joint Command Southwest (JCSW) of NATO located in Madrid. It was activated in 1999, but it was transferred into new military NATO structure in 2004 as Land Component Command as a part of the Joint Force Command in Naples.

Its flag is green with blue and white NATO emblem in the center superimposed to two pillars from Spanish coat of arms.

Home Page:
http://www.nato.int/cc-land-madrid/index.htm

Images of flag:
http://www.nato.int/cc-land-madrid/pdf_publications/cc-land-madrid.pdf
http://www.nato.int/cc-land-madrid/images/091013-loyal-jewel/image001.jpg

Zoltan Horvath, 11 February 2010


Joint Command Southwest (JCSW) (1999-2004)

[Joint Command Southwest (JCSW) (1999-2004)] image by Eugene Ipavec, 7 January 2010

I have found this flag in midst of NATO commands pages. It was the flag of Joint Command Southwest (JCSW) of NATO located in Madrid. Originally it was activated in 1999, but it was transferred into new military NATO structure in 2004 as Component Command - Land Madrid as a part of the Joint Force Command in Naples. This flag can be seen at: (page 2 numbered, actually page 4 in pdf.) http://www.nato.int/cc-land-madrid/pdf_publications/cc-land-madrid.pdf. There is a picture of the new flag as well, taken during a handover ceremony at the establishment of a new command in 2004 (bottom of same page). New flag of new command is similar, but its field is green with emblem in the center, and golden border of flag has been removed.
Zoltan Horvath, 2 February 2010

The flag was 2:3, red with a golden border (about as wide as 1/16 of the hoist) on all four sides (plus a golden fringe). Centred on the red field and occupying almost all of it was the NATO emblem, with all four "rays" shorter than in the NATO flag and of equal length. Behind the four-pointed star but on top of the white circle were the pillars of Hercules, basically as in the Spanish arms but with yellow/gold column shafts and with no crowns on top.
Santiago Dotor, 30 October 2002


Allied Air Component Command - Izmir

[Allied Air Component Command - Izmir] by Zoltan Horvath, 12 February 2010

Allied Air Component Command Izmir was activated on 11 August 2004, and it is located in Izmir, Turkey. NATO CC-Air HQ Izmir is the successor to the former NATO Air Force Command Southern Europe (AIRSOUTH). It is subordinated to Joint Force Command Naples.
Some historical background can be read at:
http://www.aiiz.nato.int/History.htm

Its flag is medium blue with its badge in the center of flag. Badge has a light blue field but on flag it has same color as flag but with a white edge. Winged lion has same interpretation as of JFC Naples, and wings represent air characteristic of this command.

Images of flag:
Handover-takeover ceremony:
http://www.aiiz.nato.int/NATOPics/AOC/images/PIO%200016_JPG.jpg

Flag parade:
http://www.aiiz.nato.int/NATOPics/AOC/images/PIO%200005_JPG.jpg

Home page:
http://www.aiiz.nato.int/

Zoltan Horvath, 12 February 2010


Allied Maritime Component Command - Naples

[Allied Maritime Component Command - Naples] by Zoltan Horvath, 12 February 2010

The Maritime Component Command Naples is inaugurated on 1 July 2004, replaced the Headquarters Allied Naval Forces Southern Europe (HQ NAVSOUTH) which was established as a separate headquarters on June 5, 1967, upon dissolution of Headquarters Allied Forces Mediterranean, a major NATO Subordinate Command. It is situated on the Island of Nisida, Naples, Italy.

Historical background:
http://www.afsouth.nato.int/organization/CC_MAR_Naples/Factsheets/Factsheet_History.html
It is white with its emblem in the center. Its badge is a blue bordered disk, with yellow map of Europe, focusing on the Mediterranean region. An anchor placed in bottom part of disk, and a flying eagle covers it.Image of flag:
http://www.afsouth.nato.int/organization/CC_MAR_Naples/images09/015.jpg
Home page, where image of badge is available:
http://www.afsouth.nato.int/organization/CC_MAR_Naples/index.htm
Zoltan Horvath, 12 February 2010

Central Army Group (CENTAG)

[Central Army Group] image located by Pete Loeser, 8 January 2020

The Central Army Group (CENTAG) was a military planning group, comprised of military personnel from Germany, France, and the United States, that was headquartered at the Campbell Barracks in Heidelberg, Germany, between 1950-1993 as part of the joint NATO Allied Land Forces of Central Europe. Later, in August 1961, the CENTAG headquarters moved to Hammonds Barracks in Seckenheim, Germany.

Source: http://www.usarmygermany.com/Sont.htm?http&&&www.usarmygermany.com/Units/HqUSAREUR/USAREUR_CENTAG.htm
Pete Loeser, 8 January 2020